"Both teams were scrappy.

Both teams exhibited all-out hustle.

To borrow a phrase from retired NBA big man Rasheed Wallace, both teams played hard.

The Grizzlies' 98-91 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night in Staples Center had a playoff feel. Or it was at least a show of two teams eager to carve out a place in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.

There were 19 lead changes and 14 ties as the Griz dropped their second straight game after winning seven in a row. The Griz also suffered a third consecutive loss to the Clippers.

Rudy Gay, who has averaged 21.1 points on 52.6-percent shooting in 15 games against the Clippers, led the Griz with 24 points; Marc Gasol had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Blake Griffin's 20 points paced the Clippers.

Memphis (10-8) fell behind by nine points midway through the fourth quarter but trimmed the deficit to 91-89 with 1:19 remaining. The Grizzlies' poor offensive execution combined with the Clippers' deft free throw shooting summed up the conclusion.

Los Angeles (10-6) took a 74-72 lead into the final period after DeAndre Jordan followed Chris Paul's miss with a dunk. Paul was playing in his second game after missing five with a sore hamstring.

Griz coach Lionel Hollins made an adjustment to start the second half that was geared toward matching the Clippers' speed and athleticism up front. Hollins moved Gay to power forward and put O.J. Mayo in with the starters, leaving forward/center Marreese Speights on the bench when the third quarter began."